Sebastian Vettel's Key Advice for Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari Move: Learn Italian
Sebastian Vettel advised Lewis Hamilton to master Italian before his Ferrari move, a lesson from his own past regrets. Hamilton's struggle to do so highlights the deep cultural challenges at Maranello, which can be as crucial to success as on-track performance.
Sebastian Vettel, drawing from his own regrets at Ferrari, gave Lewis Hamilton a crucial piece of advice before his 2025 move: learn Italian 'really, really well.' Vettel believes that mastering the language is key to understanding the team's culture and people, a challenge Hamilton has openly admitted to struggling with amidst a demanding debut season with the Scuderia.
Why it matters:
Joining Ferrari is unlike switching to any other team on the grid. The Scuderia is the heart of Italian motorsport, with a deeply ingrained culture and immense national pride. For a non-Italian driver, simply communicating in English is not enough to truly connect with the team's soul, understand the nuances of its operations, and earn the complete trust of its passionate workforce. Vettel's insight highlights that success at Maranello is as much about cultural integration as it is about on-track performance.
The details:
- Vettel's core advice to Hamilton was to 'learn the language. Learn it really, really well,' a direct reflection of his own experience from 2015-2020.
- The four-time champion regrets not studying Italian more intensively during his stint, feeling he missed a deeper connection with the team's culture and people, which he now considers a 'crucial mistake.'
- Hamilton admitted his language learning 'fell off a cliff' due to the hectic 2025 season, despite initial efforts with lessons and apps like Duolingo.
- Cultural Connection: Vettel emphasized that while English is the working language for technical matters, it doesn't allow a driver to 'really get the people' or the spirit of the team.
- Hamilton's first season with Ferrari was challenging, finishing sixth in the standings with no podiums, potentially adding to the difficulty of focusing on extracurricular commitments like language study.
Looking Ahead:
Vettel's advice remains a blueprint for success at Ferrari, but Hamilton's struggle underscores the immense pressure drivers face. Whether Hamilton can now find the time to immerse himself in the language and culture could be a defining factor in his quest to deliver a world title to Maranello. His ability to bridge this cultural gap may ultimately determine if his Ferrari move is remembered as a bold success or a missed opportunity.